Massamba Diop

Massamba Diop is perhaps the world’s most renowned master of the Tama, a talking drum from West Africa, known for its ability to emulate the tonalities of human speech. He came into the limelight as lead percussionist and a founding member of Daande Lenol, the band of Senegalese super-star Baaba Maal. Over the past 30 years the group has been playing all over the world, working with many notable musical figures and releasing dozens of albums, including “Firin’ in Fouta”, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best World Music in 1996. Massamba himself has performed and/or recorded with the likes of Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Harry Belafonte and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. He also appeared on Peter Gabriel’s landmark release “Passion”, which won a Grammy in 1990.